I think you are just thinking what you want to think is happening.. if you look at statistics the need for a Post-secondary degree to get a good salary has never been greater. If anything society teaches us to have a big salary if you want to be anyone of value. (of course I don't subscribe to that notion.. I live in a pretty relaxed "friendly" area where there is more emphasis on activities and enjoying life. )

Still shocked you guys are thinking society is going upside down if you become adopt more socialist ideas like Canada. I can assure you that life is good here. And our Economy is in great shape compared to virtually every other country.

You tend to over glorify your own nation. Regardless of that fact, Canada is not the US. Our government is not your government, and therein lies all the difference in the world.

Even if the grass is perpetually greener over there.

Socialism isn't all that and a bag of chips, and not all of your (relative) success can be attributed to it. However, much of our failure can be.

But that's on a higher level of things. In this thread I'm simply talking about how that mentality has trickled down to local communities and households. This story is being told many times over across the United States, it's becoming increasingly common.

We reward failure again is such a general term, isn't the emphasis in your country and education system doing well on your SAT's? (which isn't a bad thing at all.. it's actually good but I've heard that it is the only factor most institutions look at) Aren't you the nation which cares more for the welfare and health care of the rich over the poor? And the country which somehow labels every poor man as not hard working?

And back to the original story I see nothing wrong with it at all.. the kid needs to play in a serious league if he wants to get better anyways.

We reward failure again is such a general term, isn't the emphasis in your country and education system doing well on your SAT's? (which isn't a bad thing at all.. it's actually good but I've heard that it is the only factor most institutions look at) Aren't you the nation which cares more for the welfare and health care of the rich over the poor? And the country which somehow labels every poor man as not hard working?

And back to the original story I see nothing wrong with it at all.. the kid needs to play in a serious league if he wants to get better anyways.

You make these statements, and it illustrates to me that you don't really understand our country at all. You're looking at strawmen positions and accepting them at face value.

We have programs like 'no child left behind', and previously we've dumbed down standardized testing because too many kids weren't meeting the standards. So instead of finding ways to push academic success we simply water it down and lower the bar.

We try hard to avoid subjects which step on toes, or simply rearrange what really happened to put a different spin on things. In my English Honors class, my teacher took the only black student aside and asked her if it was 'alright with her' if they discussed slavery in depth and read literature concerning it (like Huckleberry Finn). Not wanting to 'offend her' with an analysis of important\historical works that may be controversial.

We're definitely casting progress aside for political chips to cash in for later election cycles.. And this kind of thought process is becoming ingrained in our country on a household\individual level.

Well I am just trying to genuinely discuss just putting certain things about your country which I thought is the opposite of "rewarding failure".

A lot of people are saying your country is rewarding failure (which is a general statement to begin with) but no one gives concrete counter examples to the current society which values material wealth and putting vast amounts of money into education or athletics to be successful at life. (in the majority of cases)

My response was general since the statement I was responding to was general as well.

Wow, that has to be the dumbest thing I have ever read. These people are idiots. Let them play. Those that are good will be good, those that are bad will be bad. It's okay to be competitive, just emphasize sportsmanship and punish the $#@! out of anyone that showboats or belittles the other kids for their lack of skill. Abusive behavior/talk should not be tolerated for any sport for any age. It just makes you look like an asshole.

As for the progressive or socialist (two entirely different things if you ask me.) connection, I don't see it. Conspiracy theory #10000004567.

It's all part of our uber progressive plan to eventually strip the rich down to their underwear and have a parade through the streets with suits tailored from paper money. /sarcasm.

Progressives just want more opportunities for the low income/less fortunate WITHOUT making the rich the same way. How is spending a little bit more on your taxes when you make 250K and up a year a terrible crime, especially when they get out of paying most of them anyway? I think people need to get off their high horses and realize that there are people out there that do without AND work hard every day without having the luxury of saving. Not everyone can get that superjob. To those that say "you can be anything you want to be in America by hard work" I say you're as full of $#@! as a Christmas turkey.

The American dream is horse $#@!. If you had told me this in the 70's-80's I would have agreed with you. But now pensions are gone, industry jobs pay $#@!, and retiring is pretty much nonexistent. The cake walk that baby boomers had is not transitioning to the newer generations. We are stuck with $#@! IRA's and no job security whatsoever. Amazing how they are the first to finger point and name call when it comes to the younger generations/lower class obtaining anything, when everything fell into place for them like tumblers in a lock. We simply want the same opportunities that were offered to their generation. We want the same they were offered. If that's a crime, lock me the $#@! up. They call us greedy. HA.

It does remind me of server in most games "no bunnyhopping" "no rockets" "no grav nading" "no AWP"
I once used the argument "We don't see stupid limitations gimping good players so those less good can compete put into real live action sports.

You make these statements, and it illustrates to me that you don't really understand our country at all. You're looking at strawmen positions and accepting them at face value.

We have programs like 'no child left behind', and previously we've dumbed down standardized testing because too many kids weren't meeting the standards. So instead of finding ways to push academic success we simply water it down and lower the bar.

We try hard to avoid subjects which step on toes, or simply rearrange what really happened to put a different spin on things. In my English Honors class, my teacher took the only black student aside and asked her if it was 'alright with her' if they discussed slavery in depth and read literature concerning it (like Huckleberry Finn). Not wanting to 'offend her' with an analysis of important\historical works that may be controversial.

We're definitely casting progress aside for political chips to cash in for later election cycles.. And this kind of thought process is becoming ingrained in our country on a household\individual level.

Speaking of black students. When i was maybe 12 or 14 something like that, i was in history. The teacher brought in cotton with the seeds still in to demonstrate the "cotton gin" he set it down on a random desk from the previous class and it happend to be the one black students desk in the class. The teacher cracked up. made my day. That being said. NCLB is a mistake. yadda yadda yadda.